Atonement
by macclois
Summary: This is a Smallville Earth-2 Clark and Lois story. Rated T at the moment. Starts with the return of Clark Luthor from the SV universe in the episode Luthor, and it goes AU from there.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

He almost outed himself as the most powerful being on Earth in his haste to be immediately beside her after they transferred her bloody body from the ambulance to the gurney.

As the emergency room doctor barked out his orders while the others rolled her into Trauma, one nurse finally took notice of his dishevelled appearance. "You need to be looked at as well, Mr.—"

"No!" he shouted, effectively cutting her off. "Save her. The only thing you need to do is save her!"

"But Mr. –"

"The blood on my clothes is hers." He said with eerie calm. "Save. Her."

One of the doctors noticed the tension between the professional and the agitated husband and he gently put a hand on the nurse's arm. "Find Dr. Morgan, Shelly. We might need her expertise."

He just can't stand still and watch. "Who's Dr. Morgan? Can't you fix her?"

The doctor who addressed the nurse turned to him and introduced himself as Dr. Varner. "Dr. Morgan is a spinal cord specialist. I have to be honest, it does not look good. But please, be rest assured that Ms. Lane is in very good hands."

Clark did not say a word. He turned his back to the doctor and started walking, not caring where his feet might take him.

_I was too late_. The words harshly replayed inside his head, and he could not help getting angry with himself for his inability to save her. The love of his life.

Suddenly, his feet stopped, and then he felt the sudden urge to look up, in front of him was the door to a chapel located inside the hospital.

Drawn inside, Clark walked down the aisle towards the crucifix hanging on the wall. The rage completely left him, and only two words came out of his mouth.

"Save her."

Bowing his head, he let the tears fall. He did not know how long he stood there, but his silent prayer was broken when the chapel doors opened, revealing a harried Shelly, probably looking everywhere for him.

"Dr. Morgan is now in the ER. She is ready to talk to you, Mr. Luthor."

Clark nodded and refrained from using his super speed to get to Trauma. As he reached the chapel doors, he turned back to the crucifix once more, and uttered another prayer.

"Save her."

* * *

_I know I'm kinda shooting myself in the foot here, with No Other You still in progress, but this story would not leave me! Hope you guys are intrigued. Love you lots! :)_


	2. Chapter 1

_LoisNClark4Ever: You're always one of the first to leave reviews :) THANK YOU! To answer your question: no, Lex is not Lois' husband and he does not figure in this story. To be clear, Clark Luthor IS Lois Lane's husband in this story, and well, I think you will have an idea where this will go once you read this chapter :)_

_NeyvaD: Hi! Yes you're right! It is Clark Luthor who is married to Lois Lane. Thank you for reading! :)_

_Duchess66: Thanks for the interest! Don't worry, the continuation is coming right up! :)_

_I think this is the first time that I'm not saying sorry in the beginning of an update.. lol.. hope you enjoy this chapter :)_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_**Six months ago**_

It was a complete change of scenery: from three opponents it was down to one.

As the flash of light subsided, Clark Luthor found himself in the same room, this time kryptonite radiating from all over, as opposed to just a few moments earlier, the poison was just in his enemies' weapons.

It took a moment for the other occupant of the room to gather his bearings and pointed his weapon at him.

"Your number is up, Ultraman."

Clark knew he had to act fast in order to save his life. While the kryptonite radiation has weakened him, the amount of torture he had received from his father Lionel has made him more tolerant to the pain. And at this moment it made him think clearer. "Ultraman? Oliver. It didn't work. It's still me." He said, and for good measure dropped the mirror box to the floor, all the while hiding the scar on his arm, acting more weakened than he really felt.

Oliver was still wary, still not optioning to put the gun down. "Where's Lionel? What happened to him?"

"Lionel." Clark tried to savor the fact that his father was now gone from this world. "Maybe he was the one transported to my world. It didn't work on me, but maybe it worked with him." He tried to muster all the sincerity he had in his body, which took a lot of effort for him.

Oliver seemed to be debating with himself, and finally, he dropped his hand. One click from the remote and the pain completely left him. He stood up and looked at Oliver, concern now showing on his face.

"Lois," Oliver started. "She's really safe?"

Lois, another one of the pains in his side. "She's safe." He answered, not really knowing if it was correct or not.

Oliver breathed a sigh of relief. "We need to send you over to your world. We don't know what kind of havoc your doppelganger might wreak on the other side."

Clark tried to school his features. He needed to keep up the act, and if it meant being chums with Queen, then so be it. Destroying him would be left to another day.

"Your secret's safe for now." Queen said, and with another click the door opened. "But believe me, once Clark Luthor returns, I will destroy him."

Clark just nodded once, and turning his back to Oliver, began to plot his demise. But first things first, he needed to get in touch with his sister.

* * *

"I could not believe you duped him!"

Clark and Tess were lounging in the Luthor mansion's study, sharing brandy over their luck of having Lionel out of their lives.

Clark had broken out Tess from where Lionel had kept her, and while Tess wanted to show her gratitude the only way she knew how, Clark had declined. He had too much excitement of the other kind in his body at the idea of bringing Queen down on his knees and making him beg for his life, after making such a bold statement of destroying him.

"What's on your plate next?" Tess said, still giving Clark a sultry look.

Clark looked at Tess, and while most of the time he would take her up on her offer, now he felt disgusted at Tess' inability to be on the same page with him. "I need to have all the video feeds with Queen in it while I was in the other universe."

Tess realized it was futile when Clark was so zeroed in on his plan of revenge. "How are you going to do that?"

Clark looked at her as if she had sprouted something on her head. "You. You're the tech savvy one in the family. I'm pretty sure you will find a way." Standing up, he walked over to Tess, and traced a finger from her cheek towards her mouth, purposely stopping millimeters from it. "The faster you give them to me, the greater the reward."

He left the study, knowing Tess was panting behind him, but certain she will not do anything about it because she knew that he would blow a fuse if she forced herself on him once more.

Reaching his room, he divested himself of his clothes and went straight to the shower. The powerful stream of water soothed him, and he knew he would get a good night's sleep tonight.

* * *

Clark awoke at the hand running down his naked back. Irritated at having been woken this way, Clark flipped on his back and took Tess' wrist, squeezing it short of breaking it. At Tess' yelp, Clark released her wrist and she stood up from the bed.

"What the hell!"

"I told you Tess. I'm not in the mood."

"Not in the mood for me! You fucked a whore last night, didn't you? Where is she?" Tess went over to the bathroom and banged the door open. Seeing it empty, she turned to him, who was now sitting on the bed.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Clark asked, increasingly annoyed at Tess' possessive tendencies.

"You would not turn me down unless you had a woman on the side!"

"And we made this commitment of monogamy when?" Clark countered.

"When we made plans to rule this world together once Lionel is out of the way!"

"That does not translate to me not enjoying other willing bodies." Clark said, piercing Tess with a look meant to kill.

Tess knew when to back down. She threw something small on the bed. "There are the videos. The reward better come soon."

Stomping like a recalcitrant child being reprimanded, Tess left Clark alone in his room.

Reaching over the bed, Clark gripped the thumb drive and smiled. This wouldn't take long.

* * *

He was nearing the end of watching the videos when Clark finally acknowledged that the reason his desire for Tess waned was that Tess was not to be trusted. In the other world, she was allies with Queen, and while in this world he knew Tess would move heaven and earth just to be with him, he could not discount the fact that she had the ability to turn against him. He will just have to watch her closely.

Clark was now watching the video of his engagement party to Lois Lane. By now he knew that Queen was having an affair, and with his fiancée's cousin no less. The video of him meeting with Chloe Sullivan before the engagement party was proof of the fact. The meeting started out with them talking about the amount of kryptonite he has in his arsenal, no doubt part of Queen's plan in bringing down Ultraman. But his eyebrows had shot up when they shared a heated kiss before parting. That video was one ace up his sleeve.

And speaking of the fiancée, who would have thought they would be together in the other world? Lane calling him "honey" before he threw her across the room was telling of the relationship she has with the other Clark.

Lane, a woman of strong opinions and an even stronger conviction. The only reason Lane was still in the Daily Planet was because Lionel has strong-armed the other newspaper companies against hiring her. Realizing that she would not be working unless she was at the Daily Planet, she started turning in articles and investigative reports implicating the Luthors in shady deals, only to be shot down every time, her own articles edited by Clark himself. And she has no signs of stopping.

Clark had suggested to Lionel more than once of quieting Lane for good. Lionel had disagreed, saying Lane's demise would spark public interest against them, which they would not want. And the fact that she was now connected with Queen, made it all the more difficult of getting to her.

As his eyes took in the image of the sickening lovebirds at the balcony of the Ace of Clubs, he could not help but hate Queen for his hypocrisy. He was about to fast forward the video, when Lois disappeared in a blur, leaving Oliver alone.

Rewinding it, and now playing it at half speed, he realized that his doppelganger had whisked Lane away, probably not wanting this version to kiss another man as well.

Fast forwarding further, he realized that the video where the other Clark has taken Lane was not included. Picking up his mobile phone, he dialled Tess' number.

In one ring his sister answered. "Ready to give me the reward?"

Clark snorted in disgust. "No. Find the video of Lois Lane with the other me, right after she disappeared from her engagement party."

Disappointment laced in Tess' voice. "Give me an hour."

"I want it now." Clark demanded.

"I will let you know when I find it."

Minutes later, Clark had received a text from Tess, saying she remotely accessed his computer, and that she had uploaded the video to it. Playing it, he found out that the other Clark brought Lane to the roof of the Daily Planet, and what surprised him was the look on Lane's face as the other Clark uttered a sentence he himself would never say to anyone.

_I can't live in a world where you don't love me._

If he was not mistaken it was a look of hope on her face, and Clark recalled the earlier conversation between Queen and Lane, how she has never found a better man than him. Maybe Lane just realized that she has found the better man than her fiancé.

Queen, even with Sullivan waiting on the wings, cared deeply for Lois Lane. And now he had the ammunition. To break Queen, he needed to break Lane.

Two birds with one stone, he would definitely enjoy plucking them down from their perch.

* * *

_What do you guys think? Thanks for reading and love you lots! :)_


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